War Horse

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11.12.28

December has produced a surfeit of good movies based on books, including Hugo (based on Caldecott winner "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Adventures of Tintin, We Bought a Zoo, and War Horse.War Horse is the second Steven Spielberg movie of the month, following The Adventures of Tintin.

The movie is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, which tells the story of Joey, a fine working horse on a Devonshire farm in the days before World War I. Joey narrates this tale, beginning with his separation from his mother when he is purchased at auction by Albert’s father. A spirited, intelligent horse, he responds best to Albert’s gentle, understanding teaching and they develop a close bond. Albert is stricken when his alcoholic, financially strapped father sells Joey to the army for the war effort but vows to find his Joey on the fields of France.

Joey carries his new captain into battle and experiences the utter uselessness of cavalry fighting machine guns. Captured, he becomes a prisoner of war and is assigned to haul wounded German soldiers to a field hospital. A frightening barrage of gunfire sends him running. Finding himself in No Man’s Land, he realizes that soldiers are slaughtering other soldiers who are just like them, and offers a searing testament to the senselessness of war.

John Keating narrates the audiobook with pitch-perfect interpretations of Joey, Albert, and the many soldiers and caretakers, whether English, Welsh, German, or French, in Joey’s world.

Readers who love this tale of Joey will be interested in the sequel, Farm Boy, which relates memories of four generations of Albert’s family, told by his son and great grandson. Among many shared memories is the grandfather’s recollection of his father following his beloved horse into the army and bringing it home after the war.

Overdues?

Beginning in 2012, overdue accounts will be sent to collections. Avoid this credit risk by returning overdue materials now. Wipe out all fines with the return of materials, along with a can of food for every $5 in fines, and save your credit rating. This offer is good through 31 December.

eReader Help Sessions

Did you receive an eReader during the holidays, and find you need a little assistance setting it up? Would you like to learn how to use it borrow eBooks from TCPL? Or maybe you’re interested in purchasing an eReader in the near future, but you’re not sure what to get?

Come to TCPL’s eReader Help Sessions, where staff will be available to help you with your new reader, or to answer questions about the different devices on the market right now. Several popular devices will also be available for you to try out.

In January, the sessions will be held at Richlands on Monday, January 9 from 5:30pm-8pm, at Bluefield on Tuesday, January 10 from 4pm-7pm, and at Tazewell on Thursday, January 12 from 9am-12noon. Additional sessions will be announced later.

No registration is required. Just stop by, and be sure to bring your eReader and your questions!